View Full Version : Several soldiers injured in explosion at Fort Bragg, officials say
SouthernDZ
09-14-2017, 10:36
Topic of the day is the increase of training accidents in all of the services; blaming readiness, budget cuts, lack of training......
At least 15 soldiers were injured in an explosion at a during a training exercise on Fort Bragg in North Carolina on Thursday, officials said. The soldiers are part of the U.S. Army's Special Operations Command and were training on a range at the Army base.
Authorities said at least 15 soldiers were transported by medical helicopter to Womack Army Medical Center after an explosion on one of the training fields, WRAL reported. "There are injuries but we don't know extent," Special Ops Command Lt Col Rob Bockholt told Fox News. It was also not clear what caused the explosion.
The incident at Fort Bragg comes just a day after a vehicle fire at Camp Pendleton in California left 15 Marines injured — eight of them in the burn unit — following a training exercise accident. So far this year, more U.S. troops have been killed in training than in combat in Afghanistan.
On the Senate floor yesterday, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., demanded the passing of the new defense bill which pours billions more into training and getting aircraft flying again, what the military calls “readiness.”
More than 50,000 active duty personnel are attached to Fort Bragg, located in Fayetteville, N.C. It is the largest Army installation by population and covers about 161,000 acres. The Special Operations Command has about 23,000 soldiers spread over several sites.
Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/09/14/several-soldiers-injured-in-explosion-at-fort-bragg-in-north-carolina-authorities-tell-multiple-outlets.html
Ret10Echo
09-14-2017, 11:30
Prayers out for the injured.
Not surprised, but wish the MSM hadn't politicized it and just focused on the incident. I give two-bits about McCain and the rest of the critters toying with approps.
Prayers out for the injured.
Not surprised, but wish the MSM hadn't politicized it and just focused on the incident. I give two-bits about McCain and the rest of the critters toying with approps.
Ret Sir,
Agree 100%!!!:(
Hope that all the injured make a full recovery!
Prayers Out!
Holly
Would these Soldiers be currently involved in Robin Sage? How soon would family of the injured be notified?
Ret10Echo
09-14-2017, 12:44
Studs..
Damn :mad:
From USASOC
Training Incident on Fort Bragg Range
FORT BRAGG, N.C. – On Thursday, Sept. 14, a demolitions training incident involving students and cadre at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, occurred on a Fort Bragg Range.
Eight personnel were injured during the incident and were transported by air and ground to multiple hospitals in the area. The command is investigating the events leading up to the incident and is caring for its Soldiers and their families
Studs..
Damn :mad:
From USASOC
My first thought was the Demo range...
Thought and prayers for those injured. :(
Would these Soldiers be currently involved in Robin Sage? How soon would family of the injured be notified?
My understanding is that Robin Sage is the culminating event for unconventional warfare, and at the end of the training pipeline. This would likely be in a different section of the course and would be Soldiers from a different class.
There's some info from U.S Army WTF Moments. They've got journalistic standards, and are more credible than the MSM.
https://www.armywtfmoments.com/2017/09/developing-explosion-at-fort-bragg-injures-15-special-operations-soldiers/
FayOb is a little skimpy on details but was updated around 1500 hrs.
http://www.fayobserver.com/news/20170914/8-fort-bragg-soldiers-injured-during-demolitions-training
Guess we'll have to wait for "the word".
bblhead672
09-14-2017, 14:08
Prayers for speedy recovery of all the injured.
Team Sergeant
09-14-2017, 14:15
Would these Soldiers be currently involved in Robin Sage? How soon would family of the injured be notified?
Most likely happened on the demo range........
And informing families would happen as soon as possible. It happened in the United States so it would not take long.
And they are probably holding back the news because not all families have been reached.
(My parents were never to be informed if I was injured or killed.......... I set that to another family member. )
RIP Warriors, Vaya con Dios
My Deepest condolences to the families.
Prayers out to the survivors..
CDRODA396
09-14-2017, 16:04
Its my understanding that it was the 18C MOS Phase working with HME.
May the Fallen Rest In Eternal Peace and Honor and the injured heal as quickly and completely as possible.
The Reaper
09-14-2017, 16:04
Range 69, Coleman Demo, I heard.
Prayers out.
TR
Range 69, Coleman Demo, I heard.
Prayers out.
TR
Oh my. This is a tragedy. :(
Can only hope and pray for the families. What a horrible loss.
Holly
Dean Jarvis
09-14-2017, 17:21
Deja vu all over again. I was in the class behind the phase III class back in 1970 that killed 6 students and an instructor.
An instructor teaching a demo class was slapping a block of C4 in his hands while addressing the students up in the bleachers, telling them that military explosives would not detonate from shock....he then hit the explosive on the table and at the same time an explosive was set off down range, which made the students all jump.
The explosive was set off by attaching the explosive charges to a jeep battery behind the bleachers. The electrical line was never removed from the jeep battery, so as the students attached their explosives to the ring main and the instructor completed the circuit they were all killed.
There were several medic students who terminated due to the M5 bag at the range not having adequate supplies to enable them to try and save any lives.
As per the FayOb it was one killed and 7 injured.
http://www.fayobserver.com/news/20170914/1-soldier-killed-7-injured-during-demolition-training-on-fort-bragg
"...Staff Sgt. Alexander P. Dalida, 32, of Dunstable, Massachusetts, died during the demolition training that was part of the Special Forces Qualification Course, according to U.S. Army Special Operations Command. The cause of death is under investigation..."
RIP SSG Dalida
RIP, and may God cherish every tear.
Range 69, Coleman Demo, I heard.
Prayers out.
TR
Prayers out to all ......
Praying for all involved.
frostfire
09-15-2017, 15:26
My condolences, and prayers out
Never an easy answer.
HME: shock, friction, heat, and static sensitive.
Got flashback to my burn ward rotation, and post blast investigation class
Trapper John
09-16-2017, 15:09
Deja vu all over again. I was in the class behind the phase III class back in 1970 that killed 6 students and an instructor.
An instructor teaching a demo class was slapping a block of C4 in his hands while addressing the students up in the bleachers, telling them that military explosives would not detonate from shock....he then hit the explosive on the table and at the same time an explosive was set off down range, which made the students all jump.
The explosive was set off by attaching the explosive charges to a jeep battery behind the bleachers. The electrical line was never removed from the jeep battery, so as the students attached their explosives to the ring main and the instructor completed the circuit they were all killed.
There were several medic students who terminated due to the M5 bag at the range not having adequate supplies to enable them to try and save any lives.
Dean-
That was my Phase III class. That afternoon we were divided into 3 groups. I was in the next to last group that detonated our charges. We moved out to the next training station. The third and last group of the day was the group affected. There was no car battery involved. The ring charge was detonated by the instructor with a hand-held crank detonator. At the time of the incident the instructor had merely connected the last lead to the detonator and the charges, still being held and placed by some of the students, went off.
The explanation for this was under investigation for some time. There were a lot of BS theories and recitations of "facts" as you can imagine. I believe that the official reason for the early detonation was build up of residual static charge from the previous detonations. Merely closing the circuit was sufficient to allow current to flow into the detonators - and BOOM! This explanation is most consistent with the reality that I saw.
There was a medical cadre on site along with an ambulance. I don't believe any deficiency in the medical response was determined. We lost one of our medics in our class (Ray Schnicke). He and Buddy Richmond were very close and Buddy was inconsolable. Buddy, Steve Yevich, John Cavianni and I were in the second group and we rushed back, but all we could do was get in the way of the cadre, medics were on scene and responding appropriately.
There were no terminations of the students in our class as a result of the lack of medical supplies or any other lack of appropriate response reason. The only termination of a medic (my class) that I am aware of was one due to injuries received.
IIRC, there were 4 (maybe 6 or 7) fatalities. That following Sunday there was a memorial service at the Chapel on Smoke Bomb Hill. Very, very sad and emotional.
Deja vu all over again. I was in the class behind the phase III class back in 1970 that killed 6 students and an instructor.
An instructor teaching a demo class was slapping a block of C4 in his hands while addressing the students up in the bleachers, telling them that military explosives would not detonate from shock....he then hit the explosive on the table and at the same time an explosive was set off down range, which made the students all jump.
The explosive was set off by attaching the explosive charges to a jeep battery behind the bleachers. The electrical line was never removed from the jeep battery, so as the students attached their explosives to the ring main and the instructor completed the circuit they were all killed.
There were several medic students who terminated due to the M5 bag at the range not having adequate supplies to enable them to try and save any lives.
I was in that class and there were 8 fatalities in that explosion. SP4 Cosner in the explosion died a few days later. His father gave the eulogy at the chapel and was given notice that his son had died in the middle of the eulogy. But he soldiered on.
The ring that blew up was the second from the right and I just moved to the ring on the farthest right a couple minutes prior to the incident. TNT was being used at that training module. I still don't know why it went off but somebody's not saying. I never heard any positive answer but am sure it wasn't a jeep battery connection.
I was totally impressed with the medic trainees at the scene. I never heard of any medics getting the boot for improprieties. They were very professional. Same with the EVAC helicopters.
Praying for the victims of this blast. Even training can be deadly with this stuff.
Dean Jarvis
09-16-2017, 21:22
I was in that class and there were 8 fatalities in that explosion. SP4 Cosner in the explosion died a few days later. His father gave the eulogy at the chapel and was given notice that his son had died in the middle of the eulogy. But he soldiered on.
The ring that blew up was the second from the right and I just moved to the ring on the farthest right a couple minutes prior to the incident. TNT was being used at that training module. I still don't know why it went off but somebody's not saying. I never heard any positive answer but am sure it wasn't a jeep battery connection.
I was totally impressed with the medic trainees at the scene. I never heard of any medics getting the boot for improprieties. They were very professional. Same with the EVAC helicopters.
Praying for the victims of this blast. Even training can be deadly with this stuff.
Chucko, I spoke with a guy that told me he had just turned and was walking away when the explosion went off. That may have been you? I knew Pucket and Cosner who were both with the 19th SFG and Kingsley who was an avid skydiver and member of the GB Skydiving club. I knew two of the other guys but don't recall their names.
One of the medics told me he was trying to give the instructor a tracheotomy and he kept knocking him away with the stump of his arm.
TJ, I stand corrected since I was not there and only got second hand information from people that claimed to be there, but I heard from several people that Medics frustrated over the incident quit.
Dean Jarvis
09-16-2017, 21:29
Dean-
That was my Phase III class. That afternoon we were divided into 3 groups. I was in the next to last group that detonated our charges. We moved out to the next training station. The third and last group of the day was the group affected. There was no car battery involved. The ring charge was detonated by the instructor with a hand-held crank detonator. At the time of the incident the instructor had merely connected the last lead to the detonator and the charges, still being held and placed by some of the students, went off.
The explanation for this was under investigation for some time. There were a lot of BS theories and recitations of "facts" as you can imagine. I believe that the official reason for the early detonation was build up of residual static charge from the previous detonations. Merely closing the circuit was sufficient to allow current to flow into the detonators - and BOOM! This explanation is most consistent with the reality that I saw.
There was a medical cadre on site along with an ambulance. I don't believe any deficiency in the medical response was determined. We lost one of our medics in our class (Ray Schnicke). He and Buddy Richmond were very close and Buddy was inconsolable. Buddy, Steve Yevich, John Cavianni and I were in the second group and we rushed back, but all we could do was get in the way of the cadre medics on scene and responding appropriately.
There were no terminations of the students in our class as a result of the lack of medical supplies or any other lack of appropriate response reason. The only termination of a medic (my class) that I am aware of was one due to injuries received.
IIRC, there were 4 (maybe 6 or 7) fatalities. That following Sunday there was a memorial service at the Chapel on Smoke Bomb Hill. Very, very sad and emotional.
TJ, Chucko, do you recall if the story of the instructor pounding the table with the explosive was true and that a charge was set off down range?
TJ, Chucko, do you recall if the story of the instructor pounding the table with the explosive was true and that a charge was set off down range?
I don't recall pounding on the table with C4 way at the beginning and have a charge go off for shock value. Not that it didn't happen to get our attention.
Trapper John
09-17-2017, 10:19
TJ, Chucko, do you recall if the story of the instructor pounding the table with the explosive was true and that a charge was set off down range?
Dean - like Chucko, I don't recall that either. Also, as to the comment that several medics quit do to their frustration, I don't think that was the case as I said earlier. Yes, there was frustration to put it mildly, me included, as most of us were blocked out of the scene by the cadre. That was probably a good command decision as the medical response was adequate for the situation, otherwise this could have turned into a giant clusterf'k!
I can't verify Chucko's story re: the treatment of the instructor. I have my doubts though as this sounds like it has been played up over time. First of all, no medic trainee would be attempting a "tracheotomy"! We were trained to perform a crichothyroidotomy.
Dean - like Chucko, I don't recall that either. Also, as to the comment that several medics quit do to their frustration, I don't think that was the case as I said earlier. Yes, there was frustration to put it mildly, me included, as most of us were blocked out of the scene by the cadre. That was probably a good command decision as the medical response was adequate for the situation, otherwise this could have turned into a giant clusterf'k!
I can't verify Chucko's story re: the treatment of the instructor. I have my doubts though as this sounds like it has been played up over time. First of all, no medic trainee would be attempting a "tracheotomy"! We were trained to perform a crichothyroidotomy.
TJ. I have no specific idea and I don't believe I mentioned who was treating the instructor or any of the other injured other than the medics came out from the other rings...quickly. An assumption on my part was they were students and a couple cadre. I could be wrong and they could have been all cadre...I don't know. I was a weapons guy also don't know if it was a tracheotomy or a crichothyroidotomy. Even until today I never heard of acrichothyroidotomy. But I know every soldier was scurrying around doing their best.
I left ring 11 and moved to 12 about 2 minutes prior or as long as it takes to wire some explosives together because mine was done and laying at my feet. Then all of a sudden a big explosion drove me about 15 feet and surprisingly I never fell down.
I turned and looked very briefly then I started running away from the rings because I thought all of them were going to pop, but 50' later I stopped and soaked the vision up and then started returning, very slowly. I wanted to help but I didn't know what to do other than watch the agony unfold until the cadre shooed us back to the stands.
The guys I knew in that group best were Kingsley, Puckett, Pierce, Bible, Cosner and the others not so much.
Of the couple closer friends I had in ring 12, one was a high school friend from WI. I went through basic through SF training with. The last time I talked to him was 45 years ago. I just talked to him a couple months ago when I stumbled across his dog tags in my stuff and we talked about this very ordeal.
Any updates on this September explosion? Maybe someone who lives around there might know something unless it was just slipped under the rug.
I know the Army is slow but for crying out loud, they should have an answer by now as to what went wrong.
I'm beginning to think they may not know what they are doing. Nawww.
Team Sergeant
12-12-2017, 16:04
Any updates on this September explosion? Maybe someone who lives around there might know something unless it was just slipped under the rug.
I know the Army is slow but for crying out loud, they should have an answer by now as to what went wrong.
I'm beginning to think they may not know what they are doing. Nawww.
We know what happened.
Any updates on this September explosion? Maybe someone who lives around there might know something unless it was just slipped under the rug.
I know the Army is slow but for crying out loud, they should have an answer by now as to what went wrong.
I'm beginning to think they may not know what they are doing. Nawww.
We know what happened.
Okay, I will rephrase the question. Why did it happen? I never heard any results of any investigation.
Someone may know what caused it but I never heard any results, maybe because I may not be in the loop that some of you guys may be in. If the results shouldn't be in open channels, just PM me.
Peregrino
12-13-2017, 10:09
Okay, I will rephrase the question. Why did it happen? I never heard any results of any investigation.
Someone may know what caused it but I never heard any results, maybe because I may not be in the loop that some of you guys may be in. If the results shouldn't be in open channels, just PM me.
Yes, they are reasonably sure of the cause. I personally doubt the results of the investigation will become a matter of public record. The only information that has been released is a safety message directing everyone to cease using the SWCS lesson materials until they can be recertified. If you have a legitimate reason to know what happened, you can petition the Army with a FOIA request.